January 2019

Surgical Summit program to feature a variety of presentations

by Ellen Stodola EyeWorld Senior Staff Writer/Digital Editor

The meeting returns to The Chateaux Deer Valley, January 31–February 2

The 2019 Surgical Summit will be held January 31–February 2 in Park City, Utah at The Chateaux Deer Valley. Program chairs Sumit “Sam” Garg, MD, Irvine, California, and Douglas Koch, MD, Houston, spoke with EyeWorld about what to expect from this year’s meeting.
“We crafted the program this year with even more emphasis on case problem solving and complex surgical situations, and special emphasis on the nuances and subtleties of doing premium cataract surgery,” Dr. Koch said. “We’re at the point where there are so many excellent choices available (and many more to come) that it’s appropriate to get people to share experiences on selecting the best patients and how to combine lenses.”
There will also be an emphasis on new glaucoma procedures, particularly in the MIGS area, and what surgeons can do to introduce those or expand their use for their combined cataract and glaucoma patients. Dr. Koch added that there will be a lot of information on management of complex glaucoma and cornea cases.
“We tailor this meeting to provide attendees with a lot of pearls they can apply to their practices the first day they go home,” he said.
The discussion at the meeting is “one of the real gems. We encourage people to bring cases that they want to ask us about,” Dr. Koch said, adding that audience participation is great at the meeting.
“We’ve tried to keep the themes of previous successful meetings,” Dr. Garg said. There will be sessions on cataract complications, innovations in cataract surgery, and interesting cases. Dr. Garg added that there will be several sessions dedicated to videos of cataract surgery and associated surgeries. Other talks will highlight the ocular surface and corneal diseases.
This year’s Alan Crandall Lecture will be given by Garry Condon, MD, on pseudoexfoliation.
“We’ve set aside a lot of time for interaction and discussion because I think that’s one of the highlights of the meeting,” Dr. Garg said. The format provides an intimate program with time for exploration of what’s presented to whatever extent is needed from the audience.
The Surgical Summit will feature an impressive lineup of faculty members, with many returning from previous meetings and a number of new faces.
“We decided to rotate faculty more,” Dr. Koch said. Colleagues who have attended in prior years will see faculty members they haven’t seen in a few years or have never seen at this meeting, he added.
The small meeting format lends itself well for both presentations and discussion. Dr. Garg said that sessions will span the morning, with a break in the afternoon for attendees to enjoy the city and slopes, and they will reconvene in the evening.
“I think after you come to a meeting like this, you realize the value of the small format,” Dr. Garg said. Interacting with colleagues and peers is just as important as interacting with faculty, he added.
“Every year, I carry home a whole series of pearls that I find invaluable,” Dr. Koch said.
He added that not only is the Surgical Summit a great meeting, but the setting is exquisite. “We have a whole core of surgeons who come back every year both because they learn a lot and because it’s such an enjoyable experience for them and their family,” he said.